VW's car-ready folding bike concept

Check out VW's new electric bike concept, designed to fold into a circle that fits in the compartment previously occupied by the spare tire. (Fast-forward to 0:30 to see the bike, and 1:00 to see it folding up.)

With a range of 12.5 miles, the pedal-less bike is not meant to be a long-hauler, but it would make a neat accessory if you were touring, say, European cities; you could drive to one, ditch the car and buzz around on a bike to see the sights. And it's designed to be charged up by the car itself, meaning you don't have to find a wall to plug it into.

The bike was debute at the Auto China 2010 show, but no firm plans have been announced regarding actual production.

This is so smart. By itself it is one of the best folding bike concepts I've seen, and in the context of the car and the social climate, it just makes so much sense. VW apparently actually listens to customers and trends and tries to come up with creative solutions.